When Life Gives You Parkinson’s: The Search for Sleep â€” A Virgin Voyage with Cannabis Oil

One of the more common symptoms for people with Parkinsonâ€™s is trouble sleeping. Some of us canâ€™t get to sleep, some canâ€™t stay asleep, while others are awaken by tremors, painful dystonia cramping or realistic nightmares.

I canâ€™t stay asleep.

My sleeping journal is more of an awakening journal. One day it reads â€śup at 3a,â€ť the next â€śup at 1a,â€ť followed by â€śup at 3a, up at 3:30a, and up at 4:20a.â€ť

Sleep is important for everyone. When you donâ€™t get enough sleep you are less productive, less attentive, less present, less creative, less active, less everything it seems except tired. WebMD suggests it also puts you at â€śgreater risk for depression, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and death.â€ť I know youâ€™re not supposed to believe everything you read on the internet, but itâ€™s WebMD, right?

Iâ€™m also told by researchers that sleep is the time your brain needs to redistribute chemicals into all of its nooks and crannies and for your mind and body to assimilate after each dayâ€™s journey. (Both points seem especially relevant when you have a degenerative brain disease which is triggered by the lack of production of the brain chemical dopamine.) One of my doctors suggested if I donâ€™t get regular REM sleep, I am increasing my risk of a mental meltdown. Needless to say, sleep is an issue that I must address.

My neurologist suggested Mirtazapine, an antidepressant that is also apparently a good sedative. It also causes an increased appetite and weight gain. Neither of which I need right now. I suggested an alternative.

As Canada legalizes cannabis, I asked, â€śWhat about CBD Oil?â€ť For transparency, Iâ€™m not a cannabis enthusiast. I have used it before, I inhaled, and I liked it well enough. But, I never smoked regularly and have not recently.

My neurologist didnâ€™t discourage me and suggested it wouldnâ€™t hurt to try, but it is trial and error.

I did some homework. In discussions with users and by reading about Cannabidioil or CBD, there are a few things I learned.

CBD is hit and miss. Some in the Parkinsonâ€™s community swear by it and others whoâ€™ve tried it never found it to be effective. Iâ€™ve heard from several sources itâ€™s a 50/50 proposition.

There is no prescription. How much to take, when to take it and how to take it are up to you to discover and debate.Â Itâ€™s fairly intimidating. Some days I feel like I couldnâ€™t make ramen without the instructions on the package. I brought this up to Barinder Rasode, the founder of the National Institute for Cannabis Health and Education. She agreed with me, â€śI share your frustration about no knowing how much or what type of cannabis to take.â€ť She had to do trial and error when figuring out her own regiment of CBD for her sleeping issues.

Rasode is bullish on cannabis as it relates to treating symptoms of Parkinsonâ€™s disease. â€śIt reduces both the tremors and some researchers think it actually saves the neurons from further damage caused by Parkinsonâ€™s.â€ť She admits those findings are anecdotal at this point, but is hopeful for more scientific trials in the wake of legalization.

The truth is there has been little research on cannabis and Parkinsonâ€™s. So, not much is actually known. However, one trusted medical professional shared with me that while it is very likely CBD will make me drowsy, it is less likely to support and promote a regular sleep cycle.

What the heck. Iâ€™ll give it a try.

Let the adventures into the world of cannabis begin. Sweet dreams? I hope.

â€śTo-date, it has not been conclusively demonstrated by science based evaluation that marijuana can directly benefit people with Parkinsonâ€™s disease. There is a need for larger, controlled studies to better understand the efficacy of medical use of marijuana for Parkinsonâ€™s. If you are considering medical use of marijuana for Parkinsonâ€™s, we recommend you consult with your health care professional to carefully weigh potential risks and/or benefits for your individual situation. We will continue to monitor the topic of marijuana for medical purposes and will update our resources as new information becomes available.â€ť

Parkinson Canada offers this resource for people with Parkinsonâ€™s who have sleep issues.